Govt unlikely to give Afzal's body to family

Home Ministry official cites law and order issues in the state

Government is likely to turn down the request of Afzal Guru's family to hand over his body.

A senior Home Ministry official said a final decision in this regard will be taken soon and the Jammu and Kashmir government will be informed about it.

The state government had forwarded a letter sent by Tabassum, wife of Guru, to Deputy Commissioner of Baramulla in North Kashmir demanding the handing over of his body.

The Home Ministry official said Guru was buried inside Tihar jail complex in line with the prison manual and the government has no plans to hand over the body considering various aspects, including the law and order situation in the state.

Various outfits including main opposition party in the state - PDP - and separatist groups have been demanding handing over the body of Guru, who was hanged on February 9 after his conviction in the 2001 Parliament attack case, to his family.

The Kashmir Valley was agog with rumours yesterday that Guru's body had arrived and was being buried in the cover of darkness. The news spread like a wild fire through social networking sites.

Last week, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had expressed his displeasure to Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde over the delay in informing Guru's family about his hanging.

Singh told Shinde that Guru's family should have been informed in advance about the execution carried out last Saturday morning at Tihar Jail here for his role in 2001 Parliament attack case.

Guru was buried inside the Tihar jail alongside Kashmiri separatist leader Maqbool Bhat, who was also interred in the jail complex after his hanging in 1984. The mortal remains of Bhat were not handed over to his family.

The government has already said it will allow close relatives to visit Guru’s grave, an offer rejected by the family saying they want nothing but his body.